Israeli order restricts access to Palestinian homes in West Bank village

An Israeli military order has restricted access to Palestinian homes in Khirbet Umm al-Khair, residents told Al Jazeera, cutting families off from basic areas including a bathroom, a sheep pen and parts of a home. The residents say the restrictions, issued after settler attacks, are adding pressure on them to leave their village in the occupied West Bank.

Al Jazeera reported that families in the village described being physically blocked from reaching parts of their property. According to residents, the areas affected include a pen used for sheep, a bathroom and sections of a home.

The order followed what residents described as a series of settler attacks, Al Jazeera reported. The residents said the military measures compounded the effect of those attacks rather than protecting the Palestinian families affected by them.

Khirbet Umm al-Khair is in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian communities often depend on direct access to homes, livestock areas and basic facilities for daily life. In this case, residents told Al Jazeera that the restrictions have interfered with both household needs and care for animals.

The families also linked the order to what they described as wider pressure on the village. They told Al Jazeera they believe the restrictions are part of efforts to push them out of Khirbet Umm al-Khair.

Al Jazeera did not report an Israeli military explanation for the order in the available account. The report centered on residents’ accounts of the restrictions and their claim that the measures have left parts of their homes and property out of reach.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.